PORTLAND, Ore. – At long last, Strikeforce has a new welterweight champion.

And despite 16 months without a fight, and fighting for Strikeforce for the first time, that new champion is Nate Marquardt. The former UFC middleweight on Saturday brutally knocked out Tyron Woodley in the fourth round after a back-and-forth slugfest.

The welterweight title fight served as the co-main event of Saturday’s “Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy” event at Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Ore. The fight aired on Showtime following prelims on Showtime Extreme.

It was Woodley who struck first, landing a right hand in the first round that wobbled Marquardt. Woodley pounced and took the fight to the ground, working knees to the body. But Marquardt survived the barrage, got up and landed some shots of his own as the round closed.

The second and third rounds provided many back-and-forth moments. But in the fourth round, with Woodley against the cage and the two clinched up, Marquardt landed three consecutive elbows – the second of which may have had Woodley out on his feet. Marquardt followed that up with a left hand, then a massive uppercut that finally put Woodley to the canvas.

Marquardt was walking away even before the ref could step in with Woodley clearly out. The end came at 1:39 of the fourth, and Woodley was stopped for the first time in his MMA career.

“T-Wood is one tough dude,” Marquardt said. “He was a lot more game once I started catching him. He was out; there’s no need for more.”

Marquardt, who challenged Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight title five years ago, said he was thankful to be a champion for the first time since holding the Pancrase middleweight belt more than seven years ago.

“It’s a dream come true,” Marquardt said. “(But) when I go home to my family and kids, I’m the champ every day.”

Marquardt landed more than 75 percent of his strikes, outlanding Woodley 77-57. But it was the power punches that seemed to be the difference, as Marquardt won that battle 44-28 according to Showtime’s in-fight stats.

Marquardt was cut by the UFC in June 2011 after failing to get medical clearance for his main event against Rick Story at UFC on Versus 4. Marquardt later revealed he was undergoing treatment for low testosterone before the fight and a dose spiked his levels above the limit. He was signed by BAMMA, but was allowed out of his deal before ever competing for the British promotion, making way for his signing by Strikeforce.

Marquardt (32-10-2 MMA, 1-0 SF) won for the first time since a March 2011 win over Dan Miller at UFC 128. Woodley (10-1 MMA, 8-1 SF), of course, had his 10-fight win streak snapped, losing for the first time in his career.

As the UFC 189 tour made its last stop in Dublin, featherweight champ Jose Aldo was met with a torrent of abuse from the Irish fans. It might have been unpleasant, but it might also have been just what he needed.